The Management of Keratocysts

The clinical and histological data of 106 keratocysts from the files of the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery in Nijmegen and Arnhem, The Netherlands, formed the basis of this study. There was a wide age range with a male predominance and with the mandibular third molar area and ramus being the most common sites involved. Special attention has been drawn to the various ways in which recurrent keratocysts may develop. In the present study the recurrence rate of two groups of patients, treated according to two different concepts in the surgical management of keratocysts, are compared. As a result of a 21-year follow-up on 92 keratocysts a rational approach to the surgical treatment to eliminate a high recurrence rate is suggested.